GORHAM, Maine  –  With a pair of Career & Employment Hub "Pack Chats" under their belts covering topics from resume crafting, career exploration, interviewing skills and more, University of Southern Maine student-athletes are invited to virtually attend the third and final Husky Pack Chat of the first semester on Tuesday, December 1 at 5:00 pm via Zoom. 

            The final Pack Chat of the semester will feature three Husky student-athlete alumni from varying career fields and post-graduate experiences: Fred Knight, Class of 2017, former men's basketball player; Renée Heath Towne, Class of 2004, 2010, former field hockey and softball player; and April Cohen, Class of 2003, former women's tennis player.

            During this online event, each of the former Husky standouts will share their insight on how their time in athletics has helped shape their careers. Reflecting upon the highly sought after and transferable skills and traits USM student-athletes sharpen and gain during their years in competition and practice, including time management, decision making, self-discipline, motivation, adaptability and coach-ability, each of these Husky alums have relatable and valuable experiences to share.

            "Pack Chats one and two provided student-athletes with the opportunity to take in information that was tailored specifically to their unique strengths and help prepare them as they begin to take their first steps in a job search," said Associate Director of Athletics Kimberly Turner. "With this final Pack Chat of 2020, our current student-athletes will get to learn from some of our tremendously successful alumni, people who were former student-athletes at USM themselves, and see those lessons in action."
 

 Pack Chat with the Career Hub
Session #3: Husky Alumni Panel
Tuesday, December 1, 5:00-6:00, via Zoom
 
During this session, you will:

• Hear what transferable student-athlete skills each panelist finds most helpful in their current career path
• Learn about the unique first-hand job search and interview experiences of the panelists
• Have the opportunity to ask questions directly to student-athlete alumni

Links to resources will be provided by the Career & Employment Hub.

 

            Transferring to the University of Southern Maine after a year at UMaine, Fred Knight joined the men's basketball program and immediately gave the Huskies' a big presence on and off of the court.  Standing at 6-7 and known as Big Fred during his playing career, Knight successfully managed a challenging double-major in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, earning William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete honors, fulfilling an internship with The Cooperative Center for Aquaculture Research (CCAR) and the sometimes hectic demands that come with being a Division III student-athlete. 

            Determined, outgoing, friendly and resilient, Knight also had to twice overcome a significant injury in his final years as a Husky all while still balancing his roles as a student, student-athlete and team leader as one of the Huskies' captains.  After completing the Innovate for Maine Fellowship, a program that connects Maine college students with exciting and growing companies, interning with CCAR in his senior year, Knight got his proverbial foot in the door with General Dynamics Missions Systems (GDMS). 

            A three-time recipient of the Huskies' William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete honor, Knight was chosen to represent his peers as a student-athlete speaker during the Athletic Department's annual Honors Night celebration. Presently a Senior Systems Engineer with GDMS, Knight earned his Master's degree in Systems Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 2020.  He also completed the three-year Engineering Leadership Program at GDMS in 2020. 

            A member of the Huskies' women's tennis program, April Cohen joined the Huskies' student-athlete community after being approached by then head coach Wayne St. Peter during his Tennis

101 class.  St. Peter asked Cohen, "Why aren't you on my tennis team?" to which she replied, "I wasn't recruited." From there, Cohen took advantage of the opportunity in front of her and utilized it to her fullest.  At the end of her time in a Huskies' uniform, Cohen made her mark earning All-Little East Conference honors in sixth singles and first doubles all while helping Southern Maine lift the 2002 conference championship trophy. 

            Earning William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete honors, and her degree in History with a minor in Political Science, Cohen took a non-linear path to career success as a Realtor. Earning her real estate license in 2005, Cohen took the leap quitting her full-time job in 2007 to pursue her passion of selling homes full time.  Showing adaptability and resilience, Cohen survived the market crash of 2010s ("I took a job at the Gap to supplement my income"), and has developed her brand and team at the Bean Group into a tremendous success.  During the second quarter of 2020, Cohen and her team were ranked no. 2 for sales, no. 2 for volume and tied for first in transactions company-wide.

            A two-sport standout for the Huskies, earning All-Region honors a combined seven times as a member of Southern Maine's field hockey and softball teams, Renee Heath Towne's athletic ability has her enshrined in both the Husky Hall of Fame and the Little East Conference Hall of Fame. A multi-season team captain for both programs, Towne was named the LEC Tournament's Most Valuable Player leading the Huskies' field hockey team to its first Little East Conference title in 2003, and helped the Huskies' softball program establish a school record for wins in a season with 33.

           

A four-year William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete, Towne earned her initial bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology in 2004 before returning to Southern Maine to earn her degree in Nursing in 2010.  Drawing on her leadership and decision making ability as a student-athlete, Towne is a progressive care nurse at Maine Medical Center, and is long tenured member of the Cardiothoracic Unit. 

            "Working with USM's Career & Employment Hub this semester has been very beneficial to the needs of our student-athlete population," said Samantha Norris, Huskies' women's basketball coach and SAAC Advisor.
            Looking for ways to develop more channels to our department's commitment to develop our student-athletes into career-ready young professionals, Norris sought out the expertise of Michelle Drucker, USM Career Advisor and Instructor and Jill Williams, USM's Employer Relationship Manager. 

            "Michelle and Jill have been exceptional in this process, and in addition to providing our student-athletes with valuable knowledge and resources, they have strengthened the relationship between our student-athletes and teams with USM's Career & Employment Hub, which will only continue to propel our students forward," said Norris.

            USM's Career & Employment Hub is a resource to multiple audiences, serving University of Southern Maine students, business and community partners, and faculty and staff.  Assisting students in connecting to their future through career exploration, self-assessments, interviewing skills, internship searches and more, the Career & Employment Hub also connects community partners to USM's greatest resource – its students and faculty – to help develop workforce connections, fill service-learning experiences, internship and volunteering opportunities as well as traditional employment.

            "The team in the Career & Employment Hub is truly committed to helping students with their career-readiness. One of the most rewarding aspects of our jobs is to help students tell their stories and share the value they bring to an organization," noted Michelle Drucker, USM Career Advisor and Instructor. "Student-athletes, in particular, have numerous transferable skills to offer, and we are here to assist in identifying and articulating them." 

            In addition to the Husky Pack Chats, the Career & Employment Hub has already had a busy first semester hosting a variety of Career Talks via Zoom.  With employers sharing information about their organization, followed by an informal question and answer session for students, the Career Hub has previously facilitated sessions with a variety of employers and will host upcoming talks with the FBI on December 2 and Stantec on December 11. 
 

Career Talks Presented by Career and Employment Hub
Friday, October 2, 2020 – 10:00 am	Systems Engineering
Wednesday, October 7, 2020 - 2:00 pm	MANP - Maine Association of Non-Profits
Friday, October 16, 2020 - 10:00 am	Martin's Point Health Care
Wednesday, October 21, 2020 - 2:00 pm	Tilson Technologies
Wednesday, October 28, 2020 - 2:00 pm	Northern Light Health
Friday, November 13, 2020 - 10:00 am	Hannaford/Delhaize Group/Retail Business Services
Wednesday, November 18, 2020 - 2:00 pm	Sweetser
Wednesday, December 2, 2020 - 2:00 pm	FBI
Friday, December 11, 2020 - 10:00 am	Stantec

 
Interested parties can learn more about all of the activities, workshops and one-on-one guidance opportunities at https://usm.maine.edu/career-and-employment-hub